Dial-locking means for knitting machines



Jahljl, 1929.

A. E. PAGE DIAL LOCKING'MEANS FOR KNITTING IIACHINES Filed March 11, 1927 2 Shuts-Sheet. 1

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, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. ALBERT E. PAGE y in? after-rags Jan. 1, 1929.

A. E. PAGE DIAL LOCKING MEANS FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed March 11 Patented 1, 1929.

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POBATED, 0. NEW YORK, N. Y., IMAS SACHUSETTS.

DIAL-LOCKING son Katerina raaciiinnsf Application filed March 11, 192-7. Serial No. 174,853.

This invention relates to circular knitting machines and more particularly to means for harmonizing the vertical movements of the needle cylinder and dial of seamless hosiery machines. In seamless ribbed hosiery the changes of stitch length are obtained by vertical 'movement ot the needle cylinder and dial, the twomoving simultaneously when ribbed portions of the stocking are being knit and the dial having independent movement when plain fabric is being knit as described and claimed. in the applica ion of Peter Sch-arhag, filed February 24th, 1927, and patented December 11th, 1928, No. 1,695,208. One of the objects of this invention is to harmonize these vertical move ments of the cylinder and-dial, especially when the length of stitch is changedgradually. Another object of the invenfio'n is to obtain absolute uniformity in movement of the cylinder anddial in such manner that the parts can be locked together 3116 moved either up or. down as a unit, or two parts can be operated independently as, for instance, when changing from rib to plain knitting or vice versa. Another object of the invention is to obtain this harmony in movement without requiring the useoit' any extra cam positions on the pattern drums.

In seamless hosiery knitting machines changes in stitch length involve vertical movement not only of the needle cylinder and the dial but also of the cam block which carries the dial cams. inese dial cams have heretofore been actuated vertically from,

cams on rotating pattern means such the main pattern drum. It a stitch graduating device such as that shown and described in Patent N umber 1,569,632 granted Robert W. Scott and Albert E'Page on January 1926, is used, there arefvariations in stitch length every four courses and it would-be impossible to harmonize the dial cam block movements from the intermittently racked main pattern drum. In order that the dial cam block may move in absolute uniformity with the'needle cylinder and dial when these elen'ients are moving vertically, the present invention provides means for locking the dial and the dial cam block together when the dial and cylinder are moving uniformly and for releasing the dial cam block when the dial is moving independently of the needle cylinder.

ln the drawings" 1 I i Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a portion of a Scott 6; lVilliams seamless, hosiery rib kn c. ting machine showing the mechanism for raising and lowering the needle cylinder, dial and dial cam bloclc'according to the new invention; I I r Fig. 2 is a front elevation of part otthe stit clgr regulatin 'mechani'sm which-raises o o i a I an were the needle cyl1nder;*

mechanism adapted to lock the dial cam block-to the dial; 1

r Fig. i is rear elevation of the mechanism shown in Fig. 3; and

transmitted to the needle cylinder260 from the usual cylinder raising tube280, by means ot a lug 287 on the tubeengagedby the upper arm 286 ofthe lever 281, all in the manner sir caries;

Fig. 3 is'an el vation from the right side of the machine of the shown and describedinthe above mentioned Scott and Pagel atent 1,559,632gdated Janus ary 12, 1926. The cylinder raisingtube is guided at its upper end in a pendant flange 259 on theunder side of the bedplate B, as usual. v v V w v The stitch regulating cam C is actuated in the following manner. The cam is free "to turn with reference to the pattern chain sha ft 80 which latter is racked around intermittently by a pawl and an irregularly toothed rack wheel whose effective action is determined by the lugs on the pattern chain The main pattern drum 120011 the shaft 76 revolves in unison with the pattern shaft through the gears 122, 123' and 121. tached' to the stitch regulatingflcam C is a ratchet wheel 0" by means ot-whichthis' cam may be rotated intermittently;- Intermittent teed motion may be imparted to thisratehet' wheel 9" by means of a. reciprocating teed pawl P actuated from the usual quadrant 75.

alt-

r on the idling space of the gears.

reciprocating pawl P there is part of the ratchet wheel into the path of the a spring blade O on the end of the pattern chain shaft 80 revolving therewith. This blade projects into the ath of a pin 0 on the side face oi the cam When the ratchet wheel 1' is stationary during the time the pawl P is idling ratchetwheel, this spring blade 0 is turning with the shaft 80 Then the blade 0 comes into contact with the pin 0 on the cam C it turns the latter until the pawl P engages the first tooth be yond the idling space and begins to turn the ratchet and cam carrying the pin away from the blade 0.

.The dial D is mounted above the needle cylinder on a, dial bracket 15 carried on a latch ring bracket The latch ring bracket is pivoted at 552 on a stand'ardOl on the bedplate B as usual. i

The dial is adapted to be moved vertically with, respect tot-he needle cylinder 260 and the latch ring 550 by the following mecha nism. The dial is carried by a dial spindle cl which spindle is splined to slide through and rotate with the horizontal bevel gear 9. This bevel gear 9' engages with a vertical bevel gear (not shown) from which rotary motion is obtained in any well known manner. There is. a casing 16 covering the gear '9 and the other gears in the dial driving train and in this casing is a fore-and-ai't slot 130 in which lies a lever 128 with a pivot point in the casing near the front of the machine at 129; The free end of this lever 128 extends rearwardly beyond the casing 16 for the purpose of raising and lowering the dial. On the upper end'of the dial spindle d is a supporting yoke d, held against rotation. The yoke al performs two functionsof reeeiving the vertical movements; for the dial and assisting in locking the dial cam block. For the first mentioned purpose there is a vertical adjustment screw (1 in the yoke (Z lying above the lever ,128 at a little distance from its pivot point 129. These parts are so arranged thata raising and lowering of the free end of the lever 128 will cause the dial 1) to be raised and lowered without affecting the engagement between the dial driving The movements of this lever 128 necessary to cause vertical movement of the dial are obtained from an operating lever 272 pivoted on the main frame of the machine, the rear end of which lever is connected to a special thrust rod 125. On the upper end of this thrust rod is aslottaed adjustment plate 127 in which plays the tapered end of the dial raising lever 128. The special thrust rod 125 is held in position by a link 126 pivoted to the standard 401.

When it is desired to move the dial independently of the needle cylinder, the forward end of the operating lever 272 is acted upon by a disc cam 288 on the pattern chain shaft 80 which rotates in unison with the main pattern drum (Figs. 1, 2'a nd When the determines the distance between the dial 1) and the needle cylinder 260 when the dial is not being moved independently by the disc earn 288'. V

As already mentioned, the dial cam. block 615 mounted on top of the dial D shown in Figs. 1, 3 and 4 must have vertical movement independent of the dial D in order that the cams in the cam block may be inserted and removed for manipulation of the knitting instruments in the dial and this vertical movement has heretofore been obtained from cams on the main pattern drum 120 by means ofthe thrust rod 462. In order that the vertical movements of the dial cam block necessary for operation of the dial cams may still be obtained at certain times and that the dial cam block may also be locked with relation to the dial at other times and move therewith whenever the dial is moving in unison with the needle cylinder, the followmechanism is provided.

ing novel I to the latch ring 550 at a point Pivoted 612 is a cam end of which overlies dial cam block housing 617 and whose other end. is adjacent the thrust rod 462. v Theupper endof this thrust rod takes againsta pin 629 eccentrically mounted for adjustment on one side of this end of the lever 613. It will be obvious that when thrust rod 462 is raised, the cam block will be lowered and vice versa. Pivoted to the end of this cam block operating lever 613 is a trip 671. The n per end of this trip is adapted to take until an adjusting screw 672 on the supporting yoke (Z on. the dial spindle. This trip is o'ii' such a. length that when the dial cam block 615 is pressed down on the upper side of the dial, the upper end of the trip can be inserted under the adjusting screw (SH-assuming that the dial is at its lowest point. This locks the cam. block 615 rigidly to the dial I) as far as vertical movement is concerned. v

In order to release the dial cam block from the dial the following mechanism operated from the main pattern drum has been devised.

block operating lever 613 one It has been noted that this unlocking occurs ata time'when changes in yarn are being made and therefore an extra long movement menses with the yarn fingers F and having apin 674 underlying the rear ends of the yarn fingers F. This trip lever has an upwardly extend ing arm to which is fastened a trip wire 675 connected to the trip 671. These parts are so adjusted that if any one of the yarn fingers F is given an extra long movement when being thrown out of action, its rear end will depress the trip pin 674 and cause the trip wire 675 to pull the trip 671 out from under the adjusting screw 672. "This movement is against the tension of the spring 676 fastened to the gear casing 16 which tends to hold the trip under the adjusting screw 672. Havin described the construction of the novel parts of the machine I shall now proceed to describe its operation. Assuming that the stocking is to beknit from the toe to the top before the loopers rounds are begun, the pattern chain 85 causes the gear 122 to be racked thus turning the disc cam 288 on the shaft 80 until the dial operating lever 272 raises the dial to its highest point. After completion of the loopers rounds. the usual seamless toe is knit on the cylinder needles after which the pattern chain causes the disc cam 288 to be racked again and the dial operating lever 272 drops down on to the adjusting screw 276 on the cylinder raising tube 280. The foot of the stocking is then knit with a ribbed instep and plain sole, the'arm 281 of the stitch regulating mechanism resting in the depression y of the cam C. After completion of the foot, the disc cam 288 is racked once more and the operating lever 272 raises the dial away from the needle cylinder for the formation of the heel as in the case of the toe 1). 7

During the knitting of the foot the dial cam block thrust rod 462 is resting on a drum cam sufl'iciently high to hold the dial cam block down in position to engage the high butt dial needles, but after the heel the thrust rod 462 is raised higher and the cam block thrust all the way in. The length of the trip 671 is such that when the trip lever 673 is in this position, the trip can be pulled easily under the adjusting screw 672 by the spring 676 l). The pattern chain then racks the shaft 80 once more and consequently the main pattern drum 120 as well, the movement of the main pattern drum 120 causing the thrust rod 462 to drop off its high cam and leave the dial cam block locked to the dial. The dial and cylinder now move together. The pattern chain shaft 80 pulls the ratchet wheel around by means of the blade 0 and the pin 0 until the reciprocating pawl P engages the first tooth beyond the idling space 1, and the stitch regulating cam C thereupon begins to turn. The cylinder raising tube and the needle cylinder are thus gradually raised as the length of the stitch is increased, the dial moving in complete harmony with. the needle cylinder because of the operating lever 272, the

thrust rod 125 and the operating lever 128.

usual and the rear end of this yarn finger thereupon engages the trip pin 674 and tips the trip lever 67 3, pullin the trip 671 out from under the adjusting screw 672. The dial is then free to move independently of the needle cylinder under the influence of the disc cam 288 on the pattern chain shaft 80, and the dial cam block is returned to the control of its thrust rod 462. At the same time the end of the arm 281 is dropped into the low point 3 of the stitch regulating cam C, thus dropping the cylinder raising tube and the needle cylinder to their lowermost position preparatory to formation of their loopers rounds for the next stocking.

It will be obvious that this invention can be used in making ribbed stockings which do not have ribbed insteps and it is equally obvious that the invention can be used in stock ings which are knit from top to toe rather than from toe to top. Other variations from the example given which do not depart from the scope of the invention Will be obvious to those skilled in the art. I

I claim:

1. A. circular knitting machine having a vertically movable dial, needles in said dial and a cam block for said needles vertically movable with relation to said dial and needles, in combination with means to lock said cam block with vertical relation to said dial during certain stages of the knitting.

2. A circular knitting machine having r0- tating pattern means, a vertically movable dial, needles in said dial and a cam block for said needles vertically movable with relation to said dial and needles, in combination with means under the control of said pattern means to lock and unlock said cam block with vertical relation to said dial.

3. A circular knitting machine having a needle cylinder, a dial, needles in said dial and a cam block for said needles vertically movable with relation to said dial and needles, in combination with unitary means to raise and lower said dial and cylinder in unison, and means to lock said cam block with vertical relation to said dial during certain stages of the knitting.

l. A circular rib knitting machine having a needle cylinder, a dial, needles in said dial and a cam block for said needles vertically movable with rel ationto said dial andneedles, in combination with means to raise and lower said cylinder and dial in unison, means to lack and unlock said cam block with vertical relation to, said dial, and rotating pattern mea s-.cnntrolling said raising and said locking means,

5-. A eireular ribiknitting machine having a needle cylinder, a dial above said cylinder,

needles; in said dial a cam block for said needles vertically movable with relation to said: dirsl and needles, and a trip adapted to lack; said can block with vertical relation. to said dial, in combination with rotating pattern means; and two thrust rods actuated thereby, one adapted to unlock said eam block tram said dial and the other thrust rod adapted to: raise and lesser said cam. block when it is unlocked;

(t A circular nil) knitting machine having a pattern drum, a needle-cylinder; a dial and unitary means: (JQHtIQLlQd by said pattern drum to} raise and lower said cylinder and dial in unison, in combination with needles in said dial. and a cam block or said needles vertically movable, with relation. to said dial and needles, a trip to lock said" earn block with vertical relatima to said dial, when said unitary means are eii'ective, two thrust rods actuated by said pattern drum, one adapted needles, ineombination with means to raise u and lower said, cylinder and dial in unison, and means to lock and unlioclc said ca-ni bloel: with vertical relation to said dial.

In testi-mnny whereef I have signed my name to this specification.

ALBERT n. PAGE. 

